Temptations
by Meemo1415
Summary: Some strange events on Prom Night cause Bella to have second thoughts about Edward, Alice, and love in general. She has a complicated decision to make, and either way, someone's going to get hurt. ALICE/BELLA; don't like, don't read.
1. Prom Night

This is my first time writing fanfiction. Ever. So please don't eat me, :)

This is Alice/Bella. If you don't like it, don't read it.

Oh, and none of this belongs to me. We have Stephanie Meyer to thank for that.

Review if you like. And with that, let's begin!

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"Gorgeous. Simply," Her hands brushed my collarbone as she spoke, "Gorgeous"

Her touch made me shiver. I exhaled sharply. "So, do you think he'll like it?"

Her hand whipped away from my shoulder like I had burned her. "Yes... He'll love it! I did a great job, if I do say so myself. Here, go look in the mirror."

Was is my imagination? She sounded like she was trying to cover something up. Her composure was usually flawless, like every other part of her. I was never sure what she was thinking, but somehow I didn't mind. I wasn't like Edward; I didn't need to know what people were thinking to feel comfortable with myself. Alice didn't either, or at least, I didn't think she did. She didn't always look to the future for answers. She knew, best of all, that the future could change with the blink of an eye and that sometimes feelings change faster than anything else...

I looked down at myself and saw the blue silk again. It was a gorgeous dress, but it was bound to look ridiculous on me.

"I'm kind of afraid. This dress looks insanely frilly." I said, cautiously. I didn't want to offend her. She had spent all afternoon with me, helping me to get ready for prom. I pretended I didn't want her to fuss over me. In truth, her company made me delirious, and I wanted to avoid it if possible. Reminding myself to avoid her was hard when she was standing so close.

She chuckled, "Oh come on! Don't spoil this for me! I can't remember my time as a human, you wouldn't deprive me of my one joy would you?" Then she tilted her head and her eyes lost their focus. She was reading the future. "No, you wouldn't. And you're going to love the dress. Just go look!"

I stepped away from her and moved towards the mirror. When I saw myself, I gasped. The dress looked beautiful, and I didn't ruin it too, too much. Alice _had_ done a great job. I wondered if, in addition to her ability to read the future, she also had the ability to bring out the best in people.

I guess I was silent too long. When Alice spoke, her voice was nervous. "Bella? Bella, are you okay? If you hate it I can find a different dress... Just tell me if you hate it."

Briefly, I wondered why she didn't already my know opinion. So, instead of answering, I leaped across the room and grabbed her around the waist. I pulled her towards me, and hugged her tight. She really was tiny. The top of her head barely reached my throat. I was incredibly grateful. "Thank you, thank you, thank yo-"

As I spoke, she nestled deeper into my arms and made a noise. It sounded like a purr? Her hand snaked its way down my back. Suddenly, I lost the ability to speak. Her body felt perfect meshed against mine, and I wondered why I would ever want to move. She looked fragile, but I could feel her strength. She was restraining herself. She could crush me with those beautiful arms. Somehow, that only made me love her more. She was always careful with me, but not like I made of glass. I wasn't, but it often felt like I was when she looked at me with those golden eyes. My hand snuck up her side and reached up to stroke her hair. Her beautiful, spiky, inky hair. My hand slipped lower again, and danced along her shoulder and neck. Just then, Jasper burst into the room.

"What are you guys doing?" He asked, in a accusatory tone. Of couse. He knew. He always knew what I, and anyone else, was feeling.

I jumped away from Alice and said, "Err... nothing! I was just.. thanking Alice. Even though I felt like a Barbie doll while she dressed me up, I think it was almost worth it!" I laughed shakily and looked at Alice.

She was looking at me.

I broke the gaze and looked back at Jasper. He didn't seem to be upset, or even that surprised.

"Alice," He said, "Be careful. Edward will be here in a few minutes." Then he turned and started back down the stairs. He left the door wide open, though.

"What.. was that? Just then?" I asked her, slightly dazed.

"What was what? Now where did I put my dress?" She chirped. She looked around the room and eventually spied her dress hung carelessly over the closet door "Ah! There it is. I'm just going to slip it on and we can go!"

I watched carefully as she sped through the changing process. She didn't bother to move to another room while she changed. Her movements were slightly less graceful than usual. For half a second, her shirt was stuck half on and half off. I traced her shape with my eyes and sucked in a breath as she flung the shirt across the room. Her skin was as wonderful as the rest of her. It was like soft cream, and it was soft in a way her brother's was not. Edward simply could not compare to Alice in the beauty department.

She had regained all of her grace by the time she put her dress on. I thought _my_ dress had been amazing, but Alice's was simply breathtaking. As she turned to look at me, I was able to truly admire the dress. It was black satin and had cutouts that showed off that smooth, creamy skin. It hugged her figure in a way that left little to the imagination. I had the sudden urge to slip my fingers into one of those spaces and touch the cold surface there. Luckily, or unluckily, Edward and Jasper came in the door before I could do anything other than stare. They seem to have a tendency to rush in just at the right moment.

I was surprised that Edward couldn't tell what I was thinking. Though I was immune to his strange psychic powers, he had been gradually getting better at guessing what was on my mind. Instead of commenting, he looked me up and down. When he had finished the inspection, he smiled.

"You like what you see?" I asked, with only a slight hitch in my voice. I wasn't worried; he'd probably think he was the one that caused this reaction.

"You look lovely. Are you ready to go?" Edward asked. As he spoke, Jasper moved towards Alice. She looked at me as he reached for her hand. I felt a flash of jealousy, but pushed it away. I was going to the prom with Edward, not Alice. Edward. EDWARD.

I had to admit, he looked stunning in his suit. However, he paled in comparison to _her_.

Edward wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close for a hug. His touch didn't do what Alice's did for me. There was no electricity. No urge to pull him close, to kiss him. It was like hugging a brother or a best friend. No, not a best friend. It was purely platonic.

Alice holds a special place in my heart, and probably always will. Though Edward tried, he just couldn't have the same effect on me. I tried to love him, I really did. I had gone over this in my mind so many times, but my heart refused to listen. It still sped up when I watched her inhuman grace. I lost the ability to breathe when I caught her looking at me, too. I tried to convince myself that Edward was the one who loved me and the one who wanted to be with me. Alice was my best friend, but nothing more. I just hadn't gotten my heart to understand the same thing my mind already did. As I watched Jasper lead Alice from the room, I decided that I could still love her. I'd simply love her from afar. I couldn't act on that love because she would never feel the same way. Even if she did, it would hurt too many people. It was impossible no matter how you looked at it. _Impossible._

Alice was walking down the stairs when she looked back at me and winked. Had she seen something? Had she seen where my thoughts had lead? No. That too, was impossible.


	2. Thoughts

Voila! The second chapter...

Sorry it took so long. I fell down the stairs and was on crutches for a while (not exactly in the mood to sit down and write, and even if I did it was highly likely I would kill of the characters...), then I got the flu... and in the wake of incredible amounts of catchup work, totally forgot about this story. I also apologise if this chapter isn't any good, :)

Hope you enjoy it!

A HUGE thank you goes out to my friend Alyssa (who won't tell me her username on here, so if you know a girl on here who write tonnes of creepily good Supernatural fics and has the name Alyssa, could you tell me?) and to FemaleSuperSaiyan who edited my this. You guys are the awesomest people in the world, :D

(If you noticed, I changed the name. The reasoning being, it's not simply about prom night anymore...)

Oh yeah, and before I forget;

**Disclaimer: Je ne posséde pas 'Twilight'.**

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I couldn't concentrate on my homework. One thought kept bouncing around in my head. No matter how many times I tried to discard it, it kept on coming back. Like that song, "The cat came back, the very next day". But, my thoughts were not filled with cats that wouldn't die; they were filled with vampires, which also wouldn't die, but that's not the point.

I wondered what Edward really thought of me. He said he was in love, but I had begun to feel like I was just a novelty, made all the more appealing by the fact he couldn't read my mind. If he could, he would probably have never spared me a second thought. He always tries to guess what's on my mind, and watches me while I sleep to gain some insight. To tell the truth, it had begun to creep me out. That odd feeling of being watched was a constant these days. I also tend to divulge my deepest secrets in my sleep, which leads to no end of problems. Then there's Alice... I just don't know what to think anymore.

I got up from my desk and threw myself onto my bed. Obviously, I wasn't going to get anything done. My mind was spinning. Before I came to Forks, I had no idea love was so confusing. I thought it was simple. You like a guy, guy likes you back and you begin to date. The reality was no where near as easy. Sure, I like Edward, but I love Alice. I think I do, at least. There was no other explanation for the way I felt about her. At least, no plausible explanation I could think of. There's only one way to be completely sure, but it was too dangerous. If I tried something, I could mess everything up. Once again, it would hurt too many people. I would never hurt the people I loved intentionally. Never. I just had to keep reminding myself of that.

I needed to do something to keep my mind off the matter at hand. Edward was with his family and Charlie was still at work. I looked out the window, and watched the rain pour down. I had become used to the sound of the rain, and it was almost comforting now. As I watched trees sway and drops of water hit the window, a brilliant thought hit me. Why don't I just consult the almighty Internet? Okay, maybe not so brilliant, but someone must have been in this situation before. I switched the computer on and waited patiently while it booted up. It was agonizingly slow. I chuckled when I realized how similar this was to what I had done only a little while ago. When I was still trying to figure out what Edward was, I had searched the Internet for answers. I remembered how little help it had been. Then again, there was bound to be more on lesbians than vampires. I stopped. Was that what I was? A lesbian? Was I ... NO! That's impossible. I'm over exaggerating. I couldn't possibly be in love with Alice. I loved her, but I wasn't_in love_ with her. She was the closest friend I've had. I _wasn't_ gay.

I groaned. Maybe the computer wouldn't be able to help me. I don't even know what I want to find out. I sat back down on the bed. Instead of driving myself slowly insane with questions, I grabbed my CD player in an attempt to drown out my thoughts. As music blared, I drifted into a restless sleep.

____

When I awoke, the rain had stopped falling. The view outside my window was dark. Whether it was cloudy or simply late, I couldn't tell. I started to sit up when I noticed a dark shape sitting on the chair in my room. I jumped, but then realized it was only Edward. For a moment, I could have sworn the shape had short, spiky hair...

Edward slowly got up from his chair and moved towards the bed, so he wouldn't frighten me, no doubt. I wished he would just rush up and wrap me in a hug, if that's what he wanted to do. I wished he would be spontaneous and free with his feelings. Sometimes, it felt like he didn't really care about me. He rarely showed his affection, and when he did, careful limits were imposed.

The fact that he thought I was so easy to scare, to break, actually made me angry. It was almost as though he didn't respect me enough to think I was strong or brave. As if he thought I was just a typical human girl. That's the reason why, when he crawled across the bed to lie down beside me, I grabbed his face and turned him towards me. Of course, with his strength he could have easily resisted.

It was dark, but I could still see the surprise on his face. I pulled him closer and whispered, "Hello, Edward.

I touched my lips to his. It began innocently enough. He was holding back. I ran my tongue along his bottom lip, and his mouth opened the tiniest bit. I wasn't following the rules. One of my hands was wrapped in his hair while the other traveled along his shoulder and down his chest. I was angry, and this was the only way I could think to punish him. My fingers trailed lower still. He was still stunned, usually he would have pushed me away by now.

_Why can't he be less careful with me? _I thought. _I understand that he worries about me, but why does he always treat me like I'm made of glass. Extremely fragile glass._ _**She**__ doesn't._

I could tell when he began to think clearly again. My hand had begun to slip under his shirt when he growled and gently pushed me away. The sound didn't do anything but anger me further. When he spoke, his voice was strained. I felt a smug smile creep onto my lips. He didn't want to stop me. I was glad I could still have an effect on him.

"Bella," He whispered, tersely. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"If you couldn't tell, maybe I wasn't making myself clear." I replied, then attempted to pull his face back down to mine. He wouldn't budge. I sighed and attempted to redeem myself, though my voice was bitter. "I'm sorry."

"You don't sound too apologetic." He smirked, but his voice held a hint of caution. "Give me a minute."

I reached my fingers up and stroked his face. I wasn't in the mood to listen to him. Really, I wasn't even in the mood to even look at him. I'd rather just go to sleep again. I exaggerated a yawn, knowing he would make me sleep if he thought I was the slightest bit tired.

"You should go back to sleep." Edward said, regretfully. "Sorry for waking you up."

I nodded, and snuggled deeper into the blankets. "G'night." I mumbled. He's so predictable. That was my last thought of the evening, though. My eyes felt heavy, and I fell asleep almost immediately.


	3. Sleepover

Here's the next part. Sorry it took a long time again.. I have some serious issues with procrastination.

Just as a warning, I _tried_ to write some fluffy moments for this chapter.. I did it mostly because the ending to the entire story is not going to be a happy one. I tried to come up a different way to end it, but my head just isn't in the right place right now to somehow come up with a way to make a happy ending plausible. So this is pretty much a peace offering, of sorts.

Once again, thanks to Alyssa for editing (and, as a side note: MUAHAHA! I FOUND YOUR ACCOUNT THINGER!)

**Disclaimer: My birth certificate does not, in fact, say Stephanie Meyer. **

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I was sitting on Alice's bed, cross legged and facing her. She was in a similar position. The rest of the house was silent, and rain pattered against the window pane. The rest of the family had gone hunting this weekend, leaving me in Alice's care.

She was watching me, and as she leaned over our knees touched. Even the slightest contact between us was enough to make me shiver, though not from lack of warmth.

Alice broke the silence suddenly, "So, Bella..." Her voice was smooth, and lower than usual. It echoed slightly in the large room. "We're all alone now. What do you want to do?"

Her presence was causing some strange feelings to wake in me. My thoughts caught hold of the words, "we're all alone", and would not let them go. They traveled to a place in my mind I wasn't even aware existed.

Blushing, I muttered something like, "Anything that gets me off this bed". I couldn't help but think the surroundings contributed to the strange fantasies my mind was in the process of creating.

Alice raised her eyebrows, her acute hearing picking up every word.

"Why, Bella? Does the bed make you... Uncomfortable?" She asked me, all innocence and smiles.

"Uh... NO! Not at all! I was just..." While I attempted to find the words that were momentarily eluding me, she arranged herself on the bed. Within seconds, she was sprawled on her stomach, head supported by her delicate arms. Her head was right beside my lap, and her amber eyes gazed up at me in barely concealed amusement. My breath caught in my throat. How could I think when she moved like that? When she looked like _that?_ She was practically asking me to touch her. To kiss her.

I knew this was probably the furthest thing from her mind at the moment. She wasn't doing this to torment me, or to tease me. She was _not_ telling me to touch her. I simply couldn't control my mind. It raced along with my heartbeat, as if they were both competing in some sort of marathon, each vying for first place.

She closed her eyes, seeing pictures in her mind only available to her and those with her gift, and smiled secretively. Then, she twisted in one quick motion, so her head was resting on one arm and the other was free to do as she pleased. Apparently, what she pleased was to make my heart burst from my chest. Her hand moved gracefully and rested itself on my leg, just above the knee. She grinned when I swallowed hard. I worked hard to tear my gaze from hers, and attempted to look at anything but Alice and her wandering hand.

"So. What to do.." I began, my voice quavering slightly. "We could go to a movie, for a walk or–"

Her hand began to slowly travel up my thigh, and I found myself unable to speak. I cleared my throat and tried to ignore the giddy feeling that engulfed me. I continued, "We could try on some clothes or something. Do a sort of fashion show. I know you'd like that! Or ..."

"Or we could stay right here. And, you know, talk." Alice's smile was blinding. Her eyes flicked from mine to watch her hand, steadily making its way up my leg. My face may be permanently stained red.

"Uh. Yeah, but.. About what?" I asked. I could barely form a complete thought and she expected me to make decent conversation?

Her hand halted in its journey, mostly because she had run out of leg. It now rested just below my hip, where she began to draw lazy circles with her fingers. It seemed as though there was nothing between her skin and mine, though I could clearly see the jeans covering my legs. They just seemed flimsy under her touch. Thin. Non-existent. She shifted positions, yet again, to bring herself closer to me.

"The weather. Dogs. Art. Clothes. School. Anything! There are endless possibilities to the subjects we could discuss!"She whispered, exuberantly. She spoke into my shirt, and suddenly, it too, was non-existent.

"Well," I whispered back, lowering myself until I was lying down beside her. The hand still remained on my leg, tracing loopy patterns and forms. "It's raining, like it does 360 days a year. It is perpetually wet here. Do you mean dogs as in Jake? Or the cute, fluffy pets some people have. I already offered a fashion show, and I cannot possibly think of anything else to say about the matter. For some reason, school doesn't seem all that important..."

She moved her hand from my leg to place her finger on my lips. "Okay. I've changed my mind. Let's _not_ talk.

"Just what do you propose we do, instead?" I asked, though my voice was somewhat muffled. She hadn't moved her finger. As I glared at her, she began to trace my lips with her fingers. For the umpteenth time that afternoon, I shivered. Her action wakened old, familiar fears and debates. Over the past few weeks, the matter had hardly left my mind for an instant. I constantly thought about Alice and Edward. About love and friendship, and the boundaries of each.

Her hand moved along my jaw, and caressed my neck. I couldn't move. I was desperately trying to calm my heart and my rapid breathing, afraid she would keep going, but still hoping she would.

"I've got some ideas..." She said, her voice trailing off.

"Oh, really?" I replied, eyebrows raised.

I turned to face her, and all my questions and insecurities were lost in her eyes. I watched as her eyes darkened, and, in that moment, Edward was the furthest thing from my mind.


	4. Discussions in the Rain

Okay, here's the fourth chapter [In this one we finally get to figure out what the heck Jasper's been thinking... YAY!].

It's late and tomorrow is going to be bad enough already, so I'll keep it quick.

All the usual thanks to Alyssa, (I still owe you, like, a billion favours.. and I'm going to pay you back one of these days!)...

- I own nothing - hope you enjoy it - please review.

:)

__

After my weekend with Alice, it had been awkward to see Edward again. To have to _talk_ to Edward again. I was sure that he'd figure it out, that Alice's thoughts would tell him what had occurred. Either Alice wasn't thinking about it as much as I was, or she was good at controlling her thoughts. And emotions. Jasper was present, after all.

It was lunchtime and I was sitting at a table with the Cullens; Alice sat by my side, Edward and Jasper were across from us. Rosalie and Emmett had gone on a trip a couple of days ago, something about "reviving" their marriage.

There was no doubt that Jasper already knew; I wasn't exempt from his abilities and could hardly contain myself. Just a few moments ago, Alice had brushed my hand, accidentally, and kicked my heart into overdrive.

Jasper turned to me and smiled tentatively. I had no idea what was going on inside that head of his. Why wasn't he angry? I was head over heels for his wife, and he was smiling? Something didn't add up. Meanwhile, Edward was oblivious as ever, looking at the three of us with obvious curiosity.

"What was that?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"What was what, Edward? I'm afraid you've got to be a little more specific than that. Not all of us can read minds, you know." Alice replied. Her voice was sugary sweet, but there seemed to be an undercurrent of annoyance. Was I the only one who noticed?

"I feel like I'm missing out on some inside joke, what with Jasper shooting you two," he looked at me, the Alice, "knowing looks."

No one made a move to say anything. I heard a muffled thump, and Jasper turned to glare at Alice. She glared back. He sighed.

More often than not, it seemed like they spoke a language of their own. That never bothered me before, but now I regretted being the only human. The Cullens all knew each other so well. Especially Jasper and Alice/ They had this closeness no one could rival.

Suddenly, I felt sick. I needed to get out of here. Standing up, I grabbed my tray and got ready to rush from the room.

"Just going to get some air," I mumbled quickly, and turned to leave.

Edward collected his tray, "I'll come with you."

"I'd rather go alone."

He looked worried now. I saw Jasper put a hand on his shoulder as I walked quickly from the cafeteria. I wasn't sure whether he was comforting him, or restraining him, but at the moment it didn't matter. I just needed some air.

__

It was raining outside, but I pushed the door open, nevertheless. I made my way over to a picnic bench, sitting down on the damp wood. Laying my head on my arms, I listened to the rain, feeling myself relax with each passing moment. The rain was gentle. Soothing. I heard birds calling and kids shouting. I didn't, however, hear any footsteps. That's why I jumped when someone sat down beside me. I saw blond hair and sad eyes. My whole body tensed.

The last person I expected.

The last person I wanted to talk to.

Jasper.

Well, truthfully, the last person I wanted to talk to was probably Edward. The tension drained from my body the moment a comforting land touched my arm.

I couldn't believe he was being so kind to me, after what had happened with Alice. By now, there was no doubt in my mind. He knew. And yet, he was out here – in the rain – comforting _me_. The girl who threatened to rip his family to shreds.

The guilt was almost overwhelming.

"Jasper. I'm so sorr-" I tried to apologize, but he cut me off.

"I know. It's okay, Bella. I understand," he said. His voice was soothing, but my emotions ran away with me. He wasn't using his gift to suppress them anymore. But ... Why?

A tear made its way down my cheek. He wiped it away, and suddenly I was bawling. Oh gosh, I was a complete mess.

He didn't try to comfort me. That too, was a kind gesture. If he had, it probably would have added to my tears. Instead, he just waited them out.

When my sobs were down to a manageable level, I tackled my first question, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

Considering my nose was running and I had begun to hiccup, my question was barely coherent, but he still understood.

"Why?" he mulled this over for a few minutes, then answered "I suppose it's because I knew she wouldn't be mine forever, Bella." he said, though his expression told me he had still hoped. "I really don't know if she ever was mine in the first place."

I knew what he meant. It seemed impossible that that tiny ball of explosive energy could belong to anyone for any extended period of time.

I didn't say anything, though, and he continued to speak, "She found me, you know. She knew, before I met her, that we'd be close. It's the same with you. She knew you two would be together."

Jasper sighed. Then there was silence.

"Yeah," I replied, though if you asked me what I was agreeing to, I wouldn't know.

My thoughts slid back to Alice and her ability. Her unquestionable belief that we would be friends, and perhaps more. Now I wonder what she truly saw, before she met me. "She's pretty amazing, isn't she?"

"She is," he said with a smile, though his eyes still seemed sad.

"I figure, or at least I _hope_, that you didn't come out here just to watch me have a break down, as much fun as that is..." I was still slightly embarrassed that he had seen that.

"No, you're right. I came out here to explain. To talk."

"About anything in particular?"

I was being deliberately obtuse. I don't know if that's an emotion or not, but he could feel it, either way.

"You know exactly what I'm referring to. You're as much a part of the family as she is, and that means I want the both of you to be happy. If that means you have to be together... Well, Edward and I have survived worse..."

That wasn't very reassuring. Actually, his little speech simply proved that I couldn't go through with this. How could I knowingly and willingly hurt them? I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn't cause pain for the ones I care about, and I planned to stick to it. If that meant I caused pain for myself, that's just too bad.

"What worries me is that you're fighting it." Jasper said with a smirk, as though _he_ were the one who could read minds.

Denial was the only option. "Fighting what? I'm not fighting anything."

There was no possible way he would get me to admit I loved Alice. Oops. Ah, at least, not out loud. I suppose I've said it to myself more than once.

"Bella," he growled, then he rolled his eyes and sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "You can't choose who you love. It just happens."

He seemed to be speaking from experience, judging by the extreme look of pain that crossed his features as he said that. My suspicions were confirmed when he whispered, almost as though he didn't want me to hear, "I should know. Heaven knows I've tried."

"You've tried to choose who you love before?"

"Do you think I want to be like this? I can't numb my own feelings, Bella."

I stared at him incredulously, and he continued, angry now, "Do you think I _enjoy_ pain? If I could, I would love anyone but Alice. It's not possible. Love doesn't work that way. I'm not speaking purely from my own experiences; I've seen hundreds of humans through the years, and felt what every single one of them has felt. This will end one of two ways. Either you just give up and give in or you end up hurting yourself in an attempt to deny what's obviously there. You can't just ignore this, Bella. You can't just ignore or deny your feelings."

_Especially around a vampire that can read emotions_.I thought wryly.

"But what about Edward? And the rest of your family? My family too. This'll just hurt them." I said, softly.

It's amazing how much you can say without actually saying the words 'love' or 'Alice'.

"You have to make a choice. You can be truthful, hurt Edward and the others, but make both Alice and yourself happy," he paused while I considered this first option.

So far it seemed incredibly selfish. Cause trouble for the people closest to me simply so I could be happy? In fact, that option would also mean causing trouble for Alice. I highly doubted she wanted me. Even after last weekend.

"Or," he continued. "Deny your feelings – like you've been doing – and hurt both Alice and yourself in order to protect everyone else.

He neglected to mention that he was one of the people who would be hurt by my decision. He seemed already resigned to his fate.

"Are you going to–"

The bell rang, interrupting before I could finish my question.

"Come on," he said, helping me to stand. "We're going to be late."

__

I reached the biology classroom just as the second bell rang. I slipped into my seat beside Edward, trying to avoid his gaze. When I snuck a glance at him, he looked to be both worried and amused. It was only then that I realized I was dripping.

Edward didn't ask me any questions. For that, I was relieved. The tension between us dissipated as the class went on. The teacher was talking about genetics, but my mind was elsewhere. I was still thinking about my strange conversation with Jasper.


	5. Sleepless in Forks

Hello again, :)

I wasn't planning to write this so soon (because I really _don't_ have the time) but I'm leaving on a trip to the States, and I wanted to get something up before I left.

Thanks to Alyssa for editing this so quickly. And being awesome. I think I've mentioned her awesomeness in every chapter, but there is just SO much of it that it pretty much demands recognition.

So, my friends, we have arrived at a crossroads. If you want, I can end the story here. OR I can continue it for about 3 or 4 more chapters. This ending is relatively happy, but If I keep going, though, I can tell you now that it will not be. I've got it planned out either way, so whichever you think. If it continues, I think the ending will be more plausible in terms of keeping them IC and such.

I'll put a poll thing in my profile (if I can figure out how to get one in there), but you can just tell me in a review what your opinion on the matter is.

Disclaimer: Twilight isn't mine.

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EDIT:**

**SO, IF ANYONE'S WONDERING WHY I'VE DELETED THE LAST CHAPTER, AND EDITED THIS ONE A LITTLE... ERM, WELL... I HAD SOME SECOND THOUGHTS. SEE, I'M CONTINUING THIS FOR THE SAKE OF CONTINUINING IT, AND THE SAD ENDING HAS NO REAL POINT AND SENDS A BAD MESSAGE THAT I NO LONGER WANT TO SEND. I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHY I WANTED TO SEND IT IN THE FIRST PLACE (this is the point when my brain is telling me the reason was I sorta hate Bella and wanted her to suffer a little bit... but I don't listen to my brain very often...)**

**AFTER SOME THOUGHT, I'VE DECIDED THAT THIS WOULD BE A BETTER FINALE. SO, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO... ON WITH THE STORY!**

**(Read the A/N at the end if you want more of an explanation...)**

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My conversation with Jasper had certainly given me a lot to think about. I was lying in bed, for the forth night in a row, thinking. Lately, sleep had been eluding me. When I wasn't trying to decide which of two unappealing options would be the best, I was dissecting my conversation with Jasper in my head. Tonight, when I'd gone over it, I noticed something that startled me so much I nearly jumped out of bed; Jasper had said Alice wanted me, too. Of course, not in so many words, but it _had_ been implied.

For a few, brief moments, I was ecstatic. Then I began to wonder if it was a trick. If all of this was simply some game set up by the Cullens to test my loyalty to Edward. If that was the case, I wasn't doing so well. I half expected someone to pop up and say, "Well, you failed miserably! We've got to kill you now!"

It was ridiculous. That kind of stuff does _not_ happen in real life. However, if you asked for anyone else's definition of "real life", I doubt they'd mention vampires for lovers and werewolves for friends.

These kinds of thoughts went round and around in my head, keeping me up all night, every night since our discussion. I feigned sleep every time Edward checked in on me, but he probably knew I was pretending. I'd been told often enough that I was a terrible actress. Unfortunately, Edward had noticed the bags under my eyes the moment they appeared, and had made a habit of visiting every night. That's why I was surprised when a _much_ smaller, and noticeably female, figure came through my window that night.

The moonlight glinted on her skin, making her appear softer, more fragile. Her inhuman grace was even more obvious at night, in the dark. She was in her element, and beautiful to watch. Her eyes looked determined, though. Tonight, she had a mission and I wasn't simply allowed to watch and allow my mind to wander, but was required to listen to her musical whisper and respond in kind.

Okay, so maybe the lack of sleep was getting to me.

"Why, hello there, Bella. I didn't expect to see _you_ here," she purred as she slunk across the room, not even pausing before she slipped into bed beside me, pulling the blankets up around us.

"Oh ha-ha, you're so funny," I whispered back, exuding confidence and control.

I didn't know it was possible for your voice to crack in a whisper. You learn something everyday.

"I know," she flashed a dazzling grin. I could see it even though I was making a point of staring at the ceiling. I could feel the tension leave my body with every passing moment. Her presence at my side was comforting.

"Edward tells me you haven't been getting much sleep lately. He's worried about you," her voice was quiet in my ear.

Her tone changed slightly when she mentioned his name. I wouldn't have noticed, but at this moment I was so attuned to Alice, I could... tell you anything about her. Have I mentioned I haven't been getting much sleep?

"I know," I replied, my verbal prowess surprising even myself.

"He sent me to see if there was anything wrong," Alice leaned towards me, her lips brushing my ear as she spoke, her cold breath ghosting along my jaw and neck. My mind abandoned me, but she seemed perfectly content to hold up both ends of the conversation.

"So, here I am! Making sure you get enough sleep. It seems you've become quite the insomniac, sweetheart. Don't think we haven't noticed."

I closed my eyes. Every time she spoke, her breath touched me and I found myself thinking I wished it was something a little more substantial.

Wait. _Sweetheart _? We were really close, but she'd never called me that before. Did I hear that right? It was late; my mind could be creating wild fantasies and pretending they're real.

I turned around so I was facing her. I had assumed it wasn't just in my head; I wasn't that creative.

"I take it Jasper told you about our little chat," I said, finding my voice _at last_.

"He didn't have to," she laughed, touching a finger to her temple, "But, yes. I heard all about it."

She smirked. She let her hand fall from her head to rest on my arm, where it burned a hole in my pajama top. Her hands were still ice cold, but anywhere she touched me blazed.

"What did he say?" I asked, worry creeping into my voice. I had gone over the conversation enough to know I had not said anything compromising, but my feelings and the unspoken words Jasper had somehow understood were enough to condemn me for life. At least where Alice was concerned.

"He told me that you were crying," she began. There was sympathy in her tone, but then it became entirely joking, "And that you thought I was amazing. Oh, and he might have mentioned something about your undying love for me?"

She grinned, slipping her head into the crook of my neck. Once she was comfortable, she began to slide her nose up and down the exposed skin, causing my discomfort and an involuntary groan.

I'm not quite sure if the groan was in response to her words or her actions, but either way, I was doomed.

"Oh no," I said, still worried, "He_ didn't_."

"But he did," she paused, "Bella, look at me."

In the past few moments, I had been turning slightly away from her, my eyes drawn to the end of bed. There was no doubt I was blushing when I lifted my gaze and met her eyes.

_'Breathe'_ I reminded myself.

I leaned towards her, my hands working of their own accord to pull her face closer to mine. I couldn't help it; she had looked at me with such care, such _love_, that I could barely contain my joy.

She did love me. Jasper was right.

Never doubt a vampire with the ability to sense and manipulate emotions. I stored that thought away for further use. At the moment I was having trouble keeping my head. We were so close together. She closed her eyes, most likely looking at the future. She smiled when she opened her eyes, and made no move to pull away. Instead, she brought me closer still.

I sucked in a deep breath just before our lips met, which proved to be brilliant foresight. Once it happened, I was so overwhelmed with sensations that I forgot even the most basic of functions.

She was so sweet, so tender. I was aware that she was holding herself back; she was keeping herself from hurting me, but it didn't annoy me as it did with Edward. It simply seemed necessary. My only other thought was that I needed _more_. The fingers of one hand twined in her hair, the other slid along her cheek, her jaw, her neck. Her arms were wrapped around my waist, keeping me grounded, while her tongue slipped past my lips.

I loved every second of it.

Our tongues met and mingled, and the sensation erased every thought I'd ever had.

It ended far too soon.

Alice pulled away first, and I gasped for air. I wished, not for the first time, that I was immortal. Then, we would never have to stop for air, or sleep, or food.

I looked at Alice – _my_ Alice – and felt so many strange things happen to me. There was a smile on my face, butterflies in my stomach, and Alice in my arms. Life couldn't get much better, but I felt like I was about to cry. I stopped myself, because I was doing far too much of that lately. Instead, I attempted to speak.

"Alice, I ... Uh– " I cleared my throat, "I ... think I might ... love you. A lot."

She smiled, flashing another brilliant smile.

"I'll take it you've made your choice then? About who you're going to choose?"

"Jasper told you about _that_, too? Did he send you here tonight?" I demanded, angry and a little bit hurt. Maybe she didn't want this as much as I did...

I couldn't admit that I still didn't want to commit to anything, any one choice. I couldn't decide right now.

"No, he didn't have to. I told you that already. He was going to send me in about half an hour, but I couldn't wait," she smiled, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I yawned. Damn, now she was going to make me sleep.

"Bella, you should try to sleep," she said, reminding me of her brother, but her tone was at once sweeter and more sarcastic. It was a refreshing change. "You're tired and this was bound to be a shock for your fragile, human body. I'll stay here tonight, though. If you want."

I let the jibe go. The sleep I'd missed was coming back to haunt me, and I felt so comfortable with her beside me. Yawning again, I nodded my consent.

"Okay. But you'll better be here tomorrow, right?"

I didn't want to wake up alone. Tonight had been too perfect. If she wasn't here in the morning, it would seem just like a crazy dream my sleep deprived mind had created.

"Don't worry, Bella. I'm not going to leave you."

The words were even more comforting than her presence beside me. I rolled over, pulling both her arm and the blanket tighter around me. I was safe, and warm and loved, and as those words slowly sunk into my sleepy brain, it occurred to me that no matter what happened come morning, or what I decided, she would stay by my side.

Just before sleep claimed me, I heard her whisper, "Goodnight, my love."

With that, I smiled and slipped off to dreamland.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed; you guys made my day, every single one of you. Another huge thanks to Alyssa, who puts up with me along with editing my stuff.

I was going to have Bella choose Edward, and if you've read the chapter after this you'll know it's because she feels some strange obligation to him when he asks her to marry him. She freaks out on Alice after that, and runs back into Eddy's open arms. Again, I was simply continuing to write for the sake of it, and to torture Bella... which aren't very good reasons.

I've got a tonne of issues with this fic, and I really need to practice multi-chaptered writing... but it was fun while it lasted. I've read a lot more books and fanfiction since beginning this, and have thought long and hard about what I like to read, and what will make me slam a book shut or close a webpage as fast as possible. I hope, even if you didn't particularly like this fic, you read some of my other stuff (my other fic... the stuff I'm actually proud of).

Thanks for sticking with me through this.


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